1993 Bart Reiter Special 5-String Open Back Banjo

Bart Reiter retired from making banjos at the end of 2020 and boy, do we miss him. His exemplary fit and finish set the standard for the current wave of banjo builders. This Special was one of his less expensive models but it is far from cheap and ordinary. Instead it’s like a nice piece of Shaker furniture, a plain design finely tuned over time, one that does its job well and doesn’t pretend to be an art piece that appeals to the eyes rather than the ears. It’s in overall excellent shape with normal playing wear. This banjos has a maple neck and an ebony fretboard. It has a simple brass tone ring, sometimes called a “hoop” to distinguish it from a heavy bluegrass style tone ring. The tone is loud and crisp, making it a good choice for old-time string bands. Includes a lightweight gig bag.